Pea, za’atar, and feta fritters
This is pretty much a roll call of my favorite things: green peas, ricotta, za’atar, and feta. Add the words fritter and fried and I’m the one at the stove, eating them straight from the pan, all hot and crispy. For those with more restraint, they also work at room temperature, though they lose their crunch. The batter can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for 1 day; just hold back on adding the baking powder and mint until you are ready to start frying.
I’ve served them here with a wedge of lemon to squeeze on top, but if you want to add an extra twist, make a little sour cream sauce to have instead of (or as well as) the lemon. Just mix 1¼ cups/300g sour cream with ½ cup/10g chopped mint leaves, 2 tsp dried mint, ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest, and ¼ tsp salt.
Makes eight fritters, to serve four to eight
1 lb 2 oz/500g frozen peas, defrosted
4¼ oz/120g ricotta
3 large eggs, beaten
1 lemon: finely zest to get 1 tsp, then cut it into 6 wedges, to serve
salt and black pepper
3 tbsp za’atar
⅔ cup/100g all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 cup/20g mint leaves, finely shredded
7 oz/200g feta, crumbled into ¾-inch/2cm pieces
about 3⅓ cups/800ml sunflower oil, for frying
Put the peas into a food processor and pulse a few times until roughly crushed, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the ricotta, eggs, lemon zest, ¾ tsp salt, and a good grind of pepper. Mix well, then add the za’atar, flour, and baking powder. Mix until just combined, then gently fold in the mint and feta; you don’t want the chunks of feta to break up.
Pour the oil in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, use 2 small spoons to scoop up balls or quenelles of the mixture. Don’t worry about making them uniform in shape, but they should be about 1½ inches/4cm wide. Carefully lower them into the oil—you should be able to do 4 at a time—and fry for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown. If they are cooking too quickly and taking on too much color, just decrease the temperature so that the middle also cooks through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined plate while you continue with the remaining fritters. Serve warm, with a wedge of lemon alongside.
Iranian herb fritters
These can be snacked on as they are, at room temperature, or served with a green tahini sauce and some extra herbs. If you want to make the tahini sauce, just blitz 3 tbsp/50g tahini, 1½ cups/30g parsley, ½ crushed garlic clove, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and ⅛ tsp salt for 30 seconds and pour in ½ cup/120ml water. Adding the water last allows the parsley to get really broken up and turns the sauce as green as can be. This sauce is lovely spooned over all sorts of things—grilled meat and fish and roasted vegetables, for example—so double or triple the batch and keep it in the fridge. It keeps well for about 5 days. You might want to thin it with a little water or lemon juice to get it back to the right consistency.
These fritters are a bit of a fridge-raid, using up whatever herbs you have around. As long as you keep the total net weight the same and use a mixture of herbs, this will still work wonderfully. The batter will keep, uncooked, for 1 day in the fridge.
Alternatively, pile the fritters into pita bread with condiments, such as a combination of yogurt, chile sauce, pickled vegetables, and tahini. You’d just need one fritter per person, rather than two.
Makes eight fritters, to serve four to eight (depending on whether everyone is having one in a pita or two as they are)
2 cups/40g dill, finely chopped
2 cups/40g basil leaves, finely chopped
2 cups/40g cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1½ tsp ground cumin
1 cup/50g fresh breadcrumbs (from about 2 slices, crusts left on if soft)
3 tbsp barberries (or currants, see this page)
⅓ cup/25g walnut halves, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
8 large eggs, beaten
salt
¼ cup/60ml sunflower oil, for frying
Place all the ingredients, apart from the oil, in a large bowl with ½ tsp of salt. Mix well to combine and set aside.
Put 2 tbsp of the oil into a large nonstick pan and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ladles of batter to the pan. Do 4 fritters at a time, if you can—you want each of them to be about 5 inches/12cm wide—otherwise just do 2 or 3 at a time. Fry for 1–2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside while you continue with the remaining batter and oil.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Chilled cucumber, cauliflower, and ginger soup
Gazpacho is so often the go-to for a chilled summer soup that it’s easy to forget about other options. This alternative is fresh and full of textures. If you see Lebanese cucumbers, do get them. They’re smaller and firmer than the larger cucumbers, and because they have so much less water, have a lot more taste.
This soup will keep for 2 days in the fridge. The almonds need to be fried and added just before serving.
Serves four
4 fresh mint sprigs
5-inch/12cm piece of ginger, peeled (3¼ oz/90g); two-thirds roughly grated and the remaining third cut into thin slices, about ⅛-inch/3mm thick
salt
½ large cauliflower, broken up into ¾-inch/2cm florets (3½ cups/350g)
3 large English cucumbers (or 8 small Lebanese cucumbers), peeled, seeded (if large), and roughly chopped (4 cups/650g)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 cups plus 2 tbsp/500g Greek-style yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
white pepper
¼ cup/60ml olive oil
⅔ cup/70g sliced almonds
2 tsp dried mint
Pour 3⅓ cups/800ml of water into a medium saucepan and add the fresh mint sprigs, the thinly sliced ginger, and 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then add the cauliflower and blanch for 2–3 minutes, until just cooked but still al dente. Drain and set aside. Discard the mint and ginger.
Place the cucumbers in an upright blender or food processor with the grated ginger, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp white pepper. Blitz until smooth, then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the almonds. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until the almonds are a light golden brown. Transfer to a separate bowl and stir in the dried mint. Add a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
When ready to serve, divide the cauliflower florets among four bowls and pour the chilled soup over them. Spoon the almond mix on top and serve.
Beefsteak tomato carpaccio with green onion and ginger salsa
As ever with tomato dishes, particularly when the tomatoes are uncooked, this is all about the quality of the ingredients. The tomatoes need to be superripe and sweet and the sherry vinegar needs to be best quality (such as Valdespino). Double or triple the salsa, if you like; it’s absolutely delicious spooned over all sorts of things—roast chicken, for example—or on toast topped with mozzarella or avocado (or both), and it will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Once assembled, this dish will also keep in the fridge for up to 6 hours, but bring it back to room temperature before serving. Thanks to Ixta Belfrage for spotting this on the table next to her in Chinatown and being intrigued enough to ask for a plate.
Serves four as a side
1¼-inch/3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (1 tbsp)
flaked sea salt
4 green onions, very thinly sliced (¾ cup/45g)
2½ tbsp sunflower oil (or other mild oil)
2 tsp good-quality sherry vinegar
14 oz/400g beefsteak tomatoes (about 2,
depending on size), sliced 1∕16-inch/2mm thick
¼ green chile, seeded and finely chopped
1½ tbsp finely shredded cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
Put the ginger and ½ tsp flaked salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl with the green onions and stir to combine.
Put the oil in a small pan and place over low heat until just warm (you don’t want it to heat too much). Pour over the green onions and add 1 tsp of the vinegar. Stir and set aside.
Lay the tomatoes on a large platter, with the slices slightly overlapping. Season with ¼ tsp of flaked salt and drizzle with the remaining 1 tsp of vinegar. Spoon the green onion and ginger salsa evenly over the tomatoes (or use your hands to better effect), scatter the chile and cilantro on top and finish with the olive oil.
Tomato and cucumber raita
Pictured with Lima bean mash with muhammara (this page)
The chile paste will keep for 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Once assembled, the dish will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Serves four generously
GREEN CHILE PASTE
1½ small preserved lemons, seeds discarded, skin and flesh roughly chopped (¼ cup/50g)
2 green chiles, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press
2½ tbsp olive oil
⅔ cup/200g Greek-style yogurt
½ cup/10g mint leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely crushed
1 English cucumber (or 3 or 4 small Lebanese cucumbers), quartered lengthwise, seeded, and flesh cut into ½-inch/1cm dice (2 cups/300g)
½ onion, finely chopped (½ cup/75g)
7 oz/200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt
Place all the ingredients for the chile paste in the bowl of a food processor, with ¼ tsp of salt. Blitz to form a rough paste and set aside.
Put the yogurt in a bowl and whisk with the mint, lemon juice, 1½ tsp of the cumin seeds, and rounded ¼ tsp salt. Add the cucumber, onion, and tomatoes and stir gently. Transfer to a shallow bowl and top with chile paste. Swirl lightly, sprinkle with the remaining ½ tsp of cumin seeds and serve.
Zucchini, thyme, and walnut salad
The garlic oil can be made in advance and kept for 3 days at room temperature. Zucchini become watery soon after the salt has been added, so if preparing these more than 4–6 hours in advance, hold back on the seasoning and lemon juice until just before serving.
Serves four
3 tbsp olive oil
6 thyme sprigs
1 lemon: finely shave the peel to get about 6 strips, then juice to get 2 tbsp
1 garlic clove, skin on and smashed with the flat side of a knife
4 zucchini (a mix of green and yellow looks great if you can find both), sliced into long thin ribbons using a potato peeler or mandoline (1 lb 5 oz/600g)
⅔ cup/60g walnut halves, roughly chopped
salt and black pepper
¾ cup/15g basil, roughly shredded
Put the oil, thyme, lemon strips, and garlic into a small skillet. Place over low heat to warm and infuse for 8 minutes, until the oil becomes aromatic and the garlic, lemon, and thyme start to color. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, strain the oil into a large bowl. Remove the thyme leaves from the sprigs and add to the oil. Discard the lemon and garlic.
Add the zucchini, walnuts, lemon juice, a rounded ¼ tsp salt, and pepper to the oil. Massage all the ingredients for a minute—the zucchini will break up slightly—add the basil, and serve.
Tomato and bread salad with anchovies and capers
Get as big a range of tomatoes as you can here. A clash of color looks just great. I could eat this every day through the summer just as it is or with a thin tuna steak alongside.
The toasted sourdough will keep for 4 hours and the tomatoes will keep in the fridge for up to 6 hours—but hold back on adding the basil until just before serving. Keep everything separate, bring back to room temperature, and assemble when ready to serve.
Serves four to six
4 garlic cloves, crushed
6 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped (about 1 tbsp)
7½ tbsp/110ml olive oil
flaked sea salt
3½ oz/100g sourdough, crusts left on, sliced ¾ inch/2cm thick, lightly toasted, then cut into 1½-inch/4cm chunks
1 lb 2 oz/500g ripe tomatoes, cut into 1½-inch/4cm chunks
1 lemon: finely zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 2 tsp
1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
¼ cup/5g parsley leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup/5g basil leaves, finely chopped, plus a few extra leaves to serve
1 tsp Urfa chile flakes (or ½ tsp of other crushed red pepper flakes)
Put the garlic, anchovy, and olive oil in a medium saucepan, along with ½ tsp flaked salt, and place over low heat. Cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic and anchovies soften when mashed with the back of a spoon. Make sure not to heat the oil too much or the garlic will burn; if the oil does start to bubble, just remove the pan from the heat until it cools. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and add the sourdough chunks to the hot oil. Toss the bread until well coated, then transfer the bread to a large bowl. Leave the anchovy and garlic oil in the pan.
Mix the tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, parsley, and basil in a separate bowl.
When ready to serve, add the tomato mixture to the bowl of bread. Carefully toss everything, then transfer to a platter or serving dish. Drizzle with the remaining anchovy and garlic oil and finish with the chile flakes.
Tomatoes with sumac shallots and pine nuts
Pictured with Chopped salad with tahini and za’atar (this page)
The quality of your tomatoes makes all the difference here. They need to be the ripest and sweetest you can find. This is my go-to salad in the summer, eaten as is, with some crusty bread to mop up the juices, or served as part of whatever else is on the table. Chunks of ripe avocado are also a nice addition.
The shallot slices can be prepared 1 day in advance and kept in the fridge. If you want to make the dish ahead, slice the tomatoes up to 6 hours in advance and store in the fridge, ready for the oil, basil, and seasoning to be added when you are ready to serve.
Serves four
1 large shallot, sliced paper-thin (⅓ cup/70g)
1½ tbsp sumac
2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt
1½ lb/700g mixed tomatoes (a mix of large tiger, green and red plum, red and yellow cherry; or a single variety if that is all you can get)
2 tbsp olive oil
¾ cup/15g basil leaves
black pepper
¼ cup/25g pine nuts, toasted
Place the shallot in a small bowl with the sumac, vinegar, and ⅛ tsp salt. Use your hands to mix them—you want the sumac to really be massaged into the shallots—then set aside for 30 minutes to soften.
Slice the large tomatoes in half lengthwise and then into ½-inch/1cm wedges and place in a large bowl. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise and add to the bowl. Pour in the olive oil and mix gently with the basil leaves, a rounded ¼ tsp salt, and a generous grind of pepper.
Arrange the tomatoes on a large platter. Spread the shallot slices over them, lifting some of the tomatoes and basil from under the shallots to rest on top. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve.
Chopped salad with tahini and za’atar
Pictured on this page
Adding tahini to an otherwise familiar tomato and cucumber salad can be a rea
l revelation. You need to start with a brand of tahini that is creamy, nutty, and smooth enough to pour. These tend to be the Israeli, Palestinian, or Lebanese brands (rather than the Greek and Cypriot ones, which don’t taste as good). This is lovely as a starter, with the blocks of feta, or served alongside some grilled lamb or rice with lentils (with or without the feta).
Serves four as a starter or side
6 ripe plum tomatoes (or any other sweet red tomato), cut into ½-inch/1cm dice (4 cups/650g)
3 or 4 Lebanese (small) cucumbers (or 1 English cucumber), cut into ½-inch/1cm dice (2 cups/300g)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch/1cm dice (1 cup/150g)
5 green onions, thinly sliced on an angle (rounded ¾ cup/50g)
¾ cup/15g cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
7 oz/200g feta, cut into 4 rectangular blocks (optional)
¼ cup/70g tahini
2 tsp za’atar
Place the tomatoes in a sieve sitting over a bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow some of the liquid to drain away. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl (discard the drained liquid), then add the cucumbers, red pepper, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, and ½ tsp salt. Mix to combine.
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